Airline Disasters Spark Conversation Around Aircraft Tracking Systems
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It would seem impossible that an entire plane filled with hundreds of passengers could just disappear, but this tragically happened twice in the 2014.
In the case of AirAsia QZ8501, regulators and officials were unable to locate the plane for two days after the flight lost contact with Indonesian air traffic control, and regulators continue to search for missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 which disappeared on March 8, 2014.
Both instances have renewed regulators’ and airlines’ interest in aircraft tracking systems, especially shifting popular opinion towards automatic flight tracking.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker and Emirates CEO Tim Clark have both expressed that it would be more effective to take tracking control away from the pilots. Al Baker announced last week that Qatar is currently testing an automatic tracking system that will be rolled out across its fleet.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), of which Al Baker is a member, is also pushing aviation regulators to require automatic tracking systems on airliners from takeoff to landing without interference from pilots.
“We are insisting that it should become mandatory that aircraft be automatically tracked from the time it takes off until the time it lands. Qatar Airways is already experimenting with a supplier,” Al Baker announced last week in Qatar. He was unable to share any more details about the supplier.
Other aviation executives argue that the ability to track planes throughout the entire flight is unrealistic due both to cost and infrastructure. Streaming constant data for the millions of flights that take off every year would overwhelm most communications systems and the extra cost would be difficult for many airlines, especially those with thin margins who have yet to experience the need for non-stop tracking.
There are several alternatives, including UN regulator International Civil Aviation Organization’s proposal that planes report their position every 15 minutes or the idea to provide planes with the capability to stream data in real-time once an anomaly is recorded. Satellite communications provider Inmarsat’s vice president Mary McMillan has said such capability is currently under development.
The aviation community may have to find a middle ground on these issues, because as Philip Clinch, vice president of SITA Aircraft Services points out, the general public would prefer a solution sooner than later.
“The aviation community will propose various tracking and data streaming options providing different capabilities but any options that require aircraft to be equipped with new systems or major modifications risk taking too long to satisfy the public’s expectations,” explains Clinch.
“There will be pressure to develop options that optimize the use of current aircraft capabilities or only require minor modifications.”